Life-preserver helmet



D. DEL RE.

LIFE PRESERVER HELMET. APPLICATION FILED nEc.21. 1918:

1,348,094. P e t d July 27, 1920.

-fiamelucofleljze u lvENToR WITNESSES v A-TTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DOMENICO' DEL RE, OF IRON RIVER, MICHIGAN.

LIFE-PRESERVER HELMET.

Original application filed July 13, 1918, Serial No. 244,781. Divided and this 21, 1918. Serial No. 267.827. 1

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, DOMENIOO DEL RE, a subject of the King of Italy, residing at Iron River, in the county of Iron and State of Michi an, have invented a new and useful Life-Freserver Helmet, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to life preserver helmets, and its object is to provide a helmet capable of so engaging the head of the person wearing the helmet as to protect the person against harmful effects of water in case the person is shipwrecked, or which will protect the person against noxious gases or fumes in the event that the person is compelled to work in such fumes.

In accordance with the invention the head is entirely inclosed in the helmet, which latter is provided with eye-pieces, an embracing neck portion, and a front projection,in the form of a snout, in which material may be located to absorb water or otherwise protect the person, and extending from the snout is a short tube of small dimensions through which water will not readily enter.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description'taken in connection with the accom anying drawing forming part of this speci cation, with the understanding, however, that the invention, is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawing, but may be changed and modified so long as such changes and modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a perspective view of the helmet as seen from the front.

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the helmet.

Fig. 3 is a front to rear vertical section through the helmet.

Fig. 42 is a section through one of the eyepieces on a larger scale than that of the other figures.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown a head piece 1 of a size to inclosethe'head of the wearer and which may be made of fiex-' ible water proof material, or, where the helmet is to protect against gases or fumes, the

body of the helmet may be made of some material suitable for the purpose. The head piece 1 of the helmet is provided with a contractible neck portion 2 having a normal Specification of Letters Patent.

.will tend to pucker the neck Patented July 27, 1920.

application filed December tendency to hug the neck of the wearer closely without, however, exerting such pressure as to be uncomfortable or harmful.

",The neck portion 2 is provided with a hem 3 inclosing a band or ring 4, which may be of elastic material such as rubber, and the hem portion 3 is of suflicient size to permit stretching the rubber band 4 to an extent allowing the neck portion to he slipped over the head of the wearer. When released from the expanding force the rubber band 4; portion 2 so that leakage of water or gases into the helmet through the neck portion is prevented.

The front portion of the head piece 1 is cut away to an extent commensurate with the nose and mouth of the wearer, and applied to such cutaway portion is an extended snout 5 which may be of the same material as the body of the helmet. In order to retain the shape of the snout it is formed with an exterior cage 6 of sufliciently stiff material, such as wlre, or reinforcing strips comprising additional thicknesses of material, the cage where applied to the head piece 1 of the helmet having a circumferential reinforcement 7 and at the end remote from the helmet terminating in a cap or plate 8, the

snout tapering toward the cap which is apreinforcing cage or may be formed of material like that of the head portion of the helmet, and projecting from the cap 8 is a short section 9 of small caliber tube or pipe having a downward'curvature continued toward the body of the wearer.

Lodged'in the snout 5 is a mass 10 of suitable material of more or less porous nature, such as cotton, sponge or similar material, capable of transmitting air but more or less resistent to the passage of water and which may also retain a neutralizing substance in case the helmet is to be used where noxious fumes are present.

At points in the helmet corresponding to the position of the eyes of the wearer are windows 11 which may be made of glass, celluloid, mica or othersuitable light transmitting material. In order to prevent collapse of the windows there are provided inner and outer rings 12 and 13 respectively,

tively, clamping a gasket 16 between them, which gasket bears against the inner face of the window or pane 11 so as to renderthe latter fluid-tight, thereby preventing the entrance of water or gases as the case may be. In order to hold the windows 11 a ring-like extension 17 of the material of the body portion 1 of the helmet is clamped between.

the rings 12 and 13.

Wherever the parts are joined together they may be sewed and cemented, or cement alone may be employed to render the joints fluid-tight so that there can be no entrance into the helmet of anything but air, wherefore the user may breathe but be at the same time protected against the entrance of water into the helmet in case the wearer be overboard, or against the entrance of noxious fumes should the wearer be subjected to such conditions.

The natural contractibility or pucker of the neck permits the quick application of the helmet without the necessity of strings or other like fastening devices, and when used in. water in connection with a life preserver, the helmet may be removed when the surface of the water is sufliciently calm.

lVhen it becomes necessary to go overboard into a body of salt water the helmet is of material service, since in salt water there is great danger, especially with people not used to the water, of such people becoming strangled, with the result that, unless protected by the helmet, the person swallows considerable quantities of salt water. This oftentimes produces nausea which bringing about premature weakness not infrequently results in fatalities. In rough water the helmet is valuable to shipwrecked persons, since the swallowing of salt water may occur even when the person is floating on the surface, for waves will pass over the head of the person and the temporary immersion may cause theswallowing of water.

The smallness of the tube or pipe 9 prevents any material access of water to the absorbent material 10 and the downward and inward curvature of the pipe not only protects the pipe against the ingress of 1 water but has a constant tendency to drain the pipe of any water which may find access thereto.

This application is a division of application #244,781, filed July 13, 1918.

What is claimed is 1. A life preserver helmet structure comprising a body member of a size to inclose the head, said helmet structure having a contractible 'neck receiving portion, and a snout projecting from the front of the helmet and terminating in a short pipe extension of relatively small cross sectional area having a downward curvature toward the wearer, the snout containing a body of pervious absorbent material.

2. A life preserver helmet structure of a size to receive the head of a person and having a contractible and expansible neck portion and a head portion, said head por tioli having a projecting snout with a reinforcing cage to hold the snout projected, windows in the head portion corresponding in position to the eyes of the wearer, and a relatively short pipe of relatively small cross sectional area projecting forwardly and downwardly from the snout portion.

3. A life preserver helmet comprising a head portion of flexible material with a contractible neck, and a snout of material similar to the head portion and provided with a reinforcing cage for maintaining the snout in projecting relation to the head portion.

4. A life preserver helmet comprising a head portion of flexible material with a neck portion for embracing the neck of the wearer, said head portion having a forwardly projecting snout of material like that of the head portion, and an exterior stiffening cage for holding the snout in projected relation to the head portion, said snout having a relatively short pipe of small diameter leading from its outer end to the atmosphere, and a quantity of absorbent material secured in the snout over the inlet of said pipe.

5. A life preserver helmet comprising a body portion of flexible material having an expansible and contractible neck for embracing the neck of the wearer, windows located in positions corresponding to the eyes of the wearer, and a snout of material like that of the body portion, providing space for receiving absorbent material, said snout having a relnforcing cage for holding it in .projected position with the cage and snout tapering toward the outer end and said cage being provided at the outer end with a relatively short pipe of small cross sectional area extending downwardly and forwardly DOMENICO DEL RE.

Witnesses NICK. T. FERZACCA, P. O RIEN. 

